Visual Methodologies – Analysis (My Best Blog Posts 2016)

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)Self-Portrait1889Oil on canvasH. 65; W. 54.5 cm© Musée d’Orsay, dist.RMN-Grand Palais / Patrice Schmidt

This is possibly Vincent Van Gogh’s last portrait he ever painted, created just after he left St. Remy Asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Arles. Van Gogh painted self portraits to help build on his skill, and also as a way of exploring himself, as portraits were one of his greater ambitions. At the time of it’s creation, Van Gogh was struggling with mental issues, and this painting captures his internal struggle against his fears and demons. After it’s creation, he sent it to his brother Theo, whom he was quite close to and had provided him with both financial and emotional support over the years. It was accompanied by his last letter, one of many hundreds he had exchanged with his brother.

This oil painting on canvas is one of over 40 known portraits, and focuses on Vang Gogh’s mental state at the time of it’s creation. The first thing the viewer is drawn to is his eyes, thanks to their piercing blue colour against his pale face. His piercing eyes reveal the internal turmoil he is feeling, and Van Gogh himself described his eyes as still showing his insecurities. The background is also incredibly effective in creating a hallucinatory and chaotic feel, with swirling blue and white surrounding Van Gogh, making him look lost within the entire image. As both his attire and the background are similar cool colours, it is apparent that his face is the most important part of the image, as it holds his emotion. This image could be likened to a psychological thriller, as it holds a lot of tension by using only a few small details, and feels quite unstable and dangerous despite how it may appear at first glance. It is interesting to note that despite the image containing a lot of cool greens and blues, the intensity and unease is created through the jarring contrast against the vibrant red hair and beard, resulting in an unstable feeling image, much like Van Gogh’s mental state at the time.

As Van Gogh was not actually a successful artist in his brief career (he only ever sold one painting), his audience was not greatly specific, especially not during his last years. However, this painting was originally created for his brother Theo, who was an arts dealer, so there would have been very few people to actually view this artwork. Nowadays however, Van Gogh is considered to be an incredibly influential artist, and some of his works are recognised around the world. This portrait specifically ended up in the Louvre, the Jeu de Paume gallery, Paris from 1949 to 1986, before being assigned to the Musée d’Orsay, Paris, where it currently resides. His works today still inspire various people and artists, and allows them to see individuality and beauty in a different light, more so now with the development of the internet, where people can share their ideas and musings in one place. Many people nowadays view this portrait as one of Van Gogh’s most powerful and emotive works out of all that he has created.

Images for Question 1

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Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)Self-Portrait1889Oil on canvasH. 65; W. 54.5 cm© Musée d’Orsay, dist.RMN-Grand Palais / Patrice Schmidt

 

I chose this painting because I feel that it relates to the earlier understanding of the artist’s ‘self’. Van Gogh painted over 30 self portraits because he could not always get models, and there was not a high calling for artists where he was. He viewed his self portraits as a way to improve his skill as an artist, but also as his greatest ambition. This links to Mirzoeff’s explanation of how the artist has become the hero of the work.

 

 

 

 

 

Kornman, Gene. Marilyn Monroe (detail), 1953. Gelatin silver print. Collection of Leon and Michaela Constantiner

 

This portrait of Marilyn Monroe relates to the idea of an identity being a performance. Marilyn Monroe is known worldwide as a legendary sex symbol, and this image is simply it’s own performance, maintained through her representation in the media. Images such as this maintained that celebrity status, much like celebrity selfies in modern times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If only Bradley's arm was longer. Best photo ever. #oscars pic.twitter.com/C9U5NOtGap

— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) March 3, 2014

This image is a much more modern version of the celebrity selfie, and is an effective way to boost the self-image of multiple celebrities. This is because it includes a whole range of idolised people joining together to create the an image that depicts these celebrities as relatable not only to their fellow celebrities, but to the audience, as they can now see that they have human interactions with people other than in their work, and can enjoy themselves in the same way that the audience does.

https://twitter.com/TheEllenShow

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Gogh_self-portrait_(1889)

http://photograhylover.blogspot.co.nz/2015/06/marilyn-monroe-best-photos.html

Reviewing the Videos

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• Toledo Museum of Art. Visual Literacy and Critical Thinking.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jR8zWqyHBY Web. Feb 2015.
• Uploaded by Edutopia.Filmaker Martin Scorsese on the importance of Visula Literacy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I90ZluYvHic Web 2015.

I found these videos to be very interesting, and although the Toledo Museum video was succinct and got to the point quickly, Martin Scorsese’s video was the most effective at getting the point across. I feel like this was because he was explaining his view and understanding of visual literacy from a personal view point, making it easy to see and understand how his ideas progressed into a complex knowledge. He clearly emphasises the importance of understanding how visual texts communicate to their audience, especially in this heavily visual modern world.
I also found his points interesting because of his position as a director writer and producer (among others). If Martin Scorsese, a successful film maker, is highlighting the importance of understanding visual texts, then perhaps visual literacy is actually a key part of how we should be learning. Because of this, I would recommend this video to others if only to show them a new perspective on how we see visual texts.

A 5 Minute Summary

Mirzoeff introduces the concept of the ‘self-portrait’ being a historically important idea of the depiction of teh artist as a ‘hero’

Explains how the ‘selfie’ is not just a sudden modern turn of events, and that it is actually developed from the earliest self portraits.

Originally, portraits were used to endow the subject with some sort of power, such as Kings/Queens with ‘majesty’, an image of said person(s) that was unchageable and displayed their full power.

Following this, artists started to change what was considered conventional, and started painting things and people that were not normally painted, such as women in informal positions, or with their child.

Artists then went on to portray themselves in their artwork, and used their works to show how identity can be changed.

Toulouse-Lautrec’s self portrait removing the ‘freak’ from his image

Post-modern artists began to take the stage, Duchamp coins the idea of having more than one ‘self’ after the war, when the ‘self’ seemed less secure.

Duchamp went on to show how gender was a performance in is Rrose Selavy image, and that one is not born a woman, they become one.

‘Voguing’ takes the stage, in which the dancers have their own image, and portray themselves in whichever way they want to, but at risk of being ‘read’ by others who see flaws in their image.

Fosso also tries to undo the ‘white gaze’ by making fun of the stereotypes placed upon the African people by the colonists.

Selfies start to become popular with the iphone 4s quality front camera, and how this became important to social groups and communication within them.

There are two types of selfie, one within a group of friends, and celebrity selfies used to maintain an image or identity.

Introduction of Snapchat and Vines reveals the need to get to the important information right now, gained interest by being a new mode of communication.

 

What’s in Chapter One?

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I think Mirzoeff is asking me to think about how the ideas and views of one’s image and identity have changed over the course of history, and how these ideas have affected the art being created. He talks about how the artists and their work reflected changes in societies at the time of creation, and how each work through the years showed how the understanding of identity and ‘self’ was changing.

I think it would be incredibly useful to consider and make use of the knowledge within these pages, as it can help us understand where we have come from in terms of understanding both our own identity and the identities of people around us. It also can help us see where we might be heading as a visual society, and how identity and ‘self’ might be viewed in future.

Fosso, The Chief (the one who sold Africa to the colonists)  http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2011/jun/19/photographer-samuel-fosso-best-shot

I have selected this image to best represent my understanding of the chapter as it is all about challenging the stereotypes and preset identities that had been created. In this text, the photographer (Samuel Fosso) is depicting the history of relations between the ‘White Man’ and the ‘Black Man’, and how the people of Africa were viewed by the colonists. Mirzoeff mentions the ‘white gaze’, under which coloured people cannot be seen as anything other than their stereotypes. In this image, Fosso is attempting to undo this white gaze by making fun of it, mocking up this portrait of all of the African chiefs who sold Africa to the colonists. It is this kind of change of identity and how it is seen that I feel is a key part of the chapter, and what Mirzoeff is trying to illustrate.

Nicholas, Mirzoeff. “How to see Yourself.” How to See the World. London: Pelican, 2015. 31-69. Print.

How to See Myself with Mirzoeff

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It seems to me that this question (question 1) is asking me to look at how artists’ works have changed over as their understanding of personal identity changed, and how that understanding affects what they represent in their work. I think it also is asking me to look at how dominant identities confront marginalised identities and perhaps how that has affected people who identify with the marginalised identities.

 

If I Were a Writer, Who Would I Be?

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After reading Reading as Part of Writing I feel that each of the different writing styles have their own benefits and downfalls. Some, like the architect, can plan the structure, but the actual body of the essay is not addressed at first, but on the other hand, a diver writer sees no structure until they start writing.
I think I relate most to the diver writer, as I struggle to develop ideas or structure until I have a sense of what I’m currently writing about. I need to throw some sentences and ideas around before anything starts to have a form or consistency.

When it comes to organising my own essay, I always try to remain focused on the question and research information relating to said question. Then, from the information gathered I try to think of a stand point that I feel has the best argument, one that I feel I could effectively write about, before getting straight into writing. Usually I will create a topic sentence and just go from there, generating ideas and key points as I go. Then, once I have a mess of paragraphs and a vague structure, I pull all of the important parts out of the first draft and begin to craft the actual essay, making a few drafts before the final.

I find that I most closely relate to the student description of the diver writer, and perhaps a little bit of the patchwork. I like to set up a very loose plan of headings/topic sentences before starting to just write, and find my key ideas in that way. It’s useful to see how others write, because it helps me identify how I most want to organise my writing, and it also gives me new ideas and angles to work from when it comes to my own work.

 

Creme, Phyllis, and Mary R. Lea. “Reading as Part of Writing.” Writing at University: A Guide for Students. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill Education, 2008. (71-76) eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 31. Jan. 2016.

Analytical Essays: What are they??

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An analytical essay is a structured piece of writing that argues a point supported by evidence.  It “…requires you to look at the smaller parts of the work to help shed light on the larger picture.” (Meirow, Eden. Kibin Blog). It differs from other academic works as there is no definite or concrete way to write one. There are only a few expectations as to what you should do when writing said essay, such as structure and use of evidence.
A recommended approach is to use a three step structure, as mentioned in The Essay (Clarke, Michael 160), in which you first decide on what the point of view is, and make that clear. The second section is to acknowledge and address the opposing points of the argument, furthering the development of your ideas. The third and final part is to critically evaluate all of this information and come to a conclusion, so that after all of this evaluation and comparison you come to a point where your point has been thoroughly argued.

 

Clarke, Michael. “The Essay.” Verbalising the Visual: Translating Art and Design into Words. Lausanne, Switzerland: AVA Publishing, 2007. 144-167. Print.

Meirow, Eden. “This Analytical Essay Outline Will Kick Start Your Writing.” Kibin Blog. 8 Dec. 2014. Web. 11 Apr. 2016.

(arts and) Draft 3

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Today we live in a modern world where the distribution of information is a huge part of how we go about our daily lives, and that world is becoming increasingly visually dominant. If an artist or designer is to survive in this visual metropolis, they need to be able to look closely and think critically about the visual texts that make up this changing environment.

Critical thinking, though it could be seen as fault-finding, is not necessarily searching for mistakes. It is the analysis of a text so that you are able to see and understand what makes said text a cohesive whole, as said in  Beginning University: Thinking, Researching and Writing for Success, critical thinking is  testing for “…reasonableness; only if it fails to measure up does it need to be condemned.” (Wallace, Schirato, Bright 47). Therefore, when critically analysing a visual text, you gain a clearer understanding of how it all fits together, whether it be very effective or ineffective. Doing so means that when an artist or designer goes on to create their own work, they can draw on the knowledge gained from analysing other visual texts, and use that to their advantage.

It is also important to think critically about your own visual texts as an artist or designer. Again Wallace, Schirato and Bright explain that you are “…trying to determine what is true, even if it forces you to confront ideas that are uncomfortable or unwelcome.” (47). This means that critical thinking can be used as an excellent tool for designers and artists to focus their own work, and make adjustments as they go.

Peacock, Nathan. Left Bank Graffiti Wall, 2016

For example, this ‘graffiti wall’ (right) is a well executed mural, with cultural links to the foreign market that the Left Bank is well known for. However, because it is down a dark alley it is not easily noticed. It would seem that the artist thought very critically about the visual text itself, but failed to evaluate its location, which is equally important when it comes to visual texts like this.

Finally, critical analysis is important now more than ever for artists and designers, because “Like it or not, the emerging global society is visual” (Mirzoeff, Nicholas 6), and the global society is always changing. Therefore, artists and designers have no choice but to adapt to this changing and heavily visual society, and the best way to do that is to critically analyse the contexts they are given, then adapt to the information they can gather from that, such as what the audience is and what messages they need to send. An artist or designer who knows what their context is will be able to tailor their visual text to each new and different situation, despite the visual world changing around them.

Through critical thinking, artists and designers can analyse other texts to understand the visual world better and build on their visual knowledge, to criticise themselves and keep their work focused and to adapt to the now visually dominant and changing world. Without critical evaluation, modern artists and designers simply will not be able to excel and learn new things. An artist or designer without critical thinking will simply not survive in this visual metropolis.

Texts cited

Wallace, Andrew, Tony Schirato, and Phillippa Bright. Beginning University: Thinking,
Researching and Writing for Success. St Leonards, N.S.W.: Allen & Unwin, 1999. 45-61. Print.

Mirzoeff, Nicholas. How to See the World. London: Pelican, 2015.
11-27. Print.

(arts and) Draft 2

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The world we live in is growing faster and further every day. And with this growth, comes a change in how our societies communicate and share information. Today’s generations are being brought into an increasingly visually dominant world of information, and if an artist or designer is to survive in this visual metropolis, they need to be able to look closely and think critically about visual texts.

Critical thinking, though it could be seen as fault-finding, is not necessarily searching for mistakes. It is the analysis of the text so that you may be able to see and understand what makes said text a cohesive whole, as said in  Beginning University: Thinking, Researching and Writing for Success, critical thinking is  testing for “…reasonableness; only if it fails to measure up does it need to be condemned.” (Wallace, Schirato, Bright 47). Therefore, when critically analysing a visual text, you gain a better understanding of how it all fits together, whether it be very effective or ineffective. Doing so means that when an artist or designer goes on to create their own work, they can draw on the knowledge gained from analysing other visual texts, an use that to their advantage.

It is also important to think critically about your own visual texts as an artist or designer. Again Wallace, Schirato and Bright explain that you are “…trying to determine what is true, even if it forces you to confront ideas that are uncomfortable or unwelcome.” (47). This means that if you critically evaluate your own work partway through the process, you may find that the purpose it was being created for has been forgotten.

Peacock, Nathan. Left Bank Graffiti Wall, 2016

For example, this ‘graffiti wall’ (right) is a nicely created mural, with cultural links to the foreign market that its location is well known for. However, its placement within the area is actually not easily noticed, which is down a dark alley. It would seem that the artist thought very critically about the visual text itself, but failed to evaluate its location, which is equally important when it comes to visual texts like this.

Finally, critical analysis is important now more than ever for artists and designers, because “Like it or not, the emerging global society is visual” (Mirzoeff, Nicholas 6), and the global society is always changing. Therefore, artists and designers have no choice but to adapt to this changing and heavily visual society, and the best way to do that is to critically analyse and evaluate current visual texts, to see what works and what doesn’t. It is also important think critically about what context the text is in, because that will also be changing for every new project. For a visual text to be effective, the artist or designer must be able to analyse the context to be able to create a text that works in this changing world.

Through critical thinking, artists and designers can analyse other texts to understand the visual world better and build on their visual knowledge, to criticise themselves and keep their work focused and to adapt to the now visually dominant and changing world. Without critical evaluation, modern artists and designers simply will not be able to excel and learn new things. An artist or designer without critical thinking will simply not survive in this visual metropolis.

Texts cited

Wallace, Andrew, Tony Schirato, and Phillippa Bright. Beginning University: Thinking,
Researching and Writing for Success. St Leonards, N.S.W.: Allen & Unwin, 1999. 45-61. Print.

Mirzoeff, Nicholas. How to See the World. London: Pelican, 2015.
11-27. Print.